The Spider and the Viper
by writer of chaos
Summary: The realms are growing closer together, as Outworld and Earth become deeply entwined many grow nervous of a potential unknown power sitting just beyond the threshold of their world. Juri Han has been tasked by S.I.N. to retrieve a weapon from the Palace of Outworld, while the Emperor has dispatched his loyal servant Reptile to stop her.
1. Confrontation

**Disclaimer:** We do not own Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter, or any of their associated characters or universes. They belong to NetherRealm Studios, Warner Bros. and Capcom.

 **Summary:**

The realms are growing closer together, as Outworld and Earth become deeply entwined many grow nervous of a potential unknown power sitting just beyond the threshold of their world. Juri Han has been tasked by S.I.N. to retrieve a weapon from the Palace of Outworld, while the Emperor has dispatched his loyal servant Reptile to stop her. Rated M for Mature Content.

* * *

The artifact, as always, sat neatly on a pedestal in the middle of a round room, surrounded by three watchful guards, each one fitted with weaponry and armor, as well as a way to alert the rest of the building in case they spotted any disturbances. There were two others outside of the chamber, standing ready to assist their fellow soldiers, call for reinforcements or stop anyone foolish enough to make an attempt at getting inside. To some, this may have seemed like extreme measures, but the importance of the object locked within justified the security measures. It also justified the location, a small chamber deep underground, beneath the palace of the Kahn, hidden away from the outside world and protected by magic to prevent teleporters from getting inside without notice.

On the pedestal lay the small dagger, given to Kotal Kahn by the elder gods. The kamidogu.

To the untrained eye, it didn't look particularly threatening and certainly didn't possess the appearance of a fearsome weapon, but each guard knew of it's powers of mass destruction, therefore, they all feared and respected it. Per the Kahn's instructions, even during duty they kept their distance from it. But time without anything to do, as we all know, can dull the senses and lull one into the false belief of safety, making them careless and vulnerable.

And that was just what _she_ needed.

It didn't take her long to find the place and utilizig her skills as best as she could, she slipped in one night, during the changing of the guards, before the fresh ones settled in. It was hard to navigate through the narrow hallways without being spotted, mostly because of the lack of cover and the fact that the woman herself didn't usually favor stealth jobs. She liked to go all-in, enjoying the carnage, but her superiors specifically warned her of that, not wanting the guards to lock away or escape with the dagger upon noticing her. When something is so powerful Shadaloo will open a portal to another world and sends her to fetch it, there are no lengths too great, she supposed.

After a few twists and turns through the building that looked more and more like a prison the deeper she went, the newly arrived guards eventually stopped at a metal plated door and went in, giving her the opportunity she needed to hide nearby, while the others were preparing to leave for the night. The thief gave herself a small smile as she hid in a small sideroom the night-shift guards failed to check, assuming the people before them did. Oh, she knew what she would do with them on the way out.

Finally, some fun in all her boredom.

"Do you boys mind if I take this home?" she asked, launching from her position and with a swift kick catching the first guard right in the jaw, she launched the man into a wall, before just as quickly dispatching the second one, launching him into the air with an uppercut and then slamming him into the ground with a jump-kick, both of them dead from the impact of either the thief's leg or the solid surface. Her strikes were lightning quick and devastatingly powerful for such a small frame. It was akin to being struck by a battering ram or lightning bolt. Her path into the room was now completely free.

She likewise made quick work of the other three inside. First breaking the first one's neck with her ankles after she jumped and planted her feet onto his shoulders. Then, after a roll backwards and dodging two slashes from the second one's sword, she trapped his arm with her raised leg, squeezing it into her knee joint. With a grin, the thief leapt at him, using her full weight to push the man onto the ground and then aiming a her fist at his forehead, bashing his head in with a powerful punch.

Having now stepped into the light of the chamber, the thief's features were made visible, though she killed almost all, who could appreciate them. It was a young woman, no older than twenty five at most, with ivory skin and the most jet black hair done up in a pair of twisted horns. She wore a pair of white sweatpants and a purple top emblazed with the black emblem of a spider, as well as some fingerless gloves and some spate on her otherwise bare feet. She held a psychotic grin of delight at the prospect of shedding more blood, as she advanced on the sole remaining guard like an angel of death. Her left eye glowed with an eldritch, fuschia glow.

She was Juri Han. And she was having fun.

The last guard looked to be a bit younger and seemed like a fresh recruit, or possibly even conscript, because of his shivering and the way she looked at Juri, unable to move out of fear. Oh, how she loved that look. The woman slowly turned around and began advancing on the young man, wanting to savor the look on his face before she distorted it with the pain she caused him. He backed away for a short time, until something happened. Something not at all good.

Through some strange, newfound resolve, the young guard looked down, spotting the warhorn he, like all the others, carried on his belt to call for reinforcements in case of an emergency. Juri's expression quickly turned from amusement to annoyance, as he picked it up and put it to his mouth, breathing in.

Before she could reach the man, he blew into the horn, making it emit an earth-shattering sound. By the time Juri managed to kick the horn out of his mouth and smash his head into the wall, crushing it along with the helmet he wore, it was all too late. She already heard the boots slamming on the floor. The cavalry was coming.

Hissing in annoyance, the assassin grabbed the dagger and fled as quickly as she could, following the path back to the surface, trying to backtrack from memory through the labyrinth of palace passageways. After getting out, she would have plenty of time to contact Shadaloo and get back to their own universe.

She had what she'd come here for. Now it was time to get back and get paid.

* * *

S.I.N. operative Juri Han had been sent to Outworld a few days ago by her shadowy employers on a mission that she personally hated. A fetch-quest, as she called it. At first, she had been angry, completely confused as to why she was sent to steal a small dagger from God knows where. But, since they promised her that she would be allowed to kill anyone she saw during her infiltration, the psychotic assassin eventually gave a nod and was promptly sent through a portal constructed by the best Shadaloo engineers, disguised in a long robe and taking a pair of boots and some additional gear to protect herself from the wasteland environment. With all the equipment needed and having charged up herFeng Shui Engine, Juri embarked on her newest mission. One she already knew would be the most boring she ever was on.

Now that it was over, she planned to get back to her employers, collect her fee, and going back to what she enjoyed doing best. Picking fights and killing people.

Except her mission wasn't over just yet.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, somewhere higher up in the building, Kotal Kahn was awoken from a deep, relaxing sleep by the sound of an alert horn, making the emperor of Outworld grunt in annoyance. He swiftly sat up, let out a short yawn, before rising to his feet and putting on his armor, as well as his decorated headdress. Just as the kahn was about to leave the room, one of his soldiers burst in and with visible fear, began explaining the situation.

"M-my apologies, oh great kahn, but it appears someone has managed to break into the kamidogu vault. They managed to dispatch the guards and escape from the chamber. The guards are looking for them as we speak." he spoke, earning an unimpressed expression from the emperor.

"Has anything else been stolen from the vaults?" he asked calmly, taking his weapons and leaving the room, leading the way to his throne room. The guard followed after, answering any questions the kahn had, explaining the details of the situation. By the time Kotal Kahn reached the gigantic throne room of his palace, two of his most trusted enforcers were already waiting for him.

"We have already located the intruder, great Kotal Kahn," Ermac spoke, his voice echoing with itself as many souls talked at once. "They are headed for the portal chamber, no doubt to get access to the Earthrealm portal." they said, bowing before the kahn, much like their companion did. "We would be honored to punish them for their insolence and bring you back the artifact," they continued, looking ready to leave, but the kahn's raised hand stopped them in their tracks.

"No. I want you to stay and observe the thief through their soul energy," he turned to the other of his elite soldiers. "I want _you_ to hunt them down. We cannot let them escape to the other realms."

The one he addressed bowed once more, then took off running in the direction Ermac said the intruder would be, determined to carry out his emperor's orders.

"Are you convinced the thief is headed to Earthrealm?" Kotal Kahn asked his hooded enforcer, looking skeptical about the situation. "Why would Raiden launch an attack on us during this time of peace and rejuvenation? After Shinnok's final defeat, we made peace with Earthrealm. Forged an alliance. Why would he want to attack when his realm is still recovering from a siege that nearly wiped all the realms clean of life?"

"Earthrealm is the most likely aggressor, great Kahn." Ermac explained, nodding their head. "Since the Netherrealm lost both of it's leaders, the new ones are struggling with inner conflicts, so we have already ruled them out as suspects. The Black Dragon Crime Syndicate has been decimated by the capture of their leader, Kano, leaving the only possible culprits remaining to be the Lin Kuei, the Special Forces and the White Lotus, all of which are forces of Earthrealm," their voices boomed, their green eyes glowing. "There is also the possibility of other forces at work here. Earthrealm is not as united as Outworld. Other factions could be in play."

"Then, we'll determine the truth of the matter once we have the thief. If Raiden wants a war, he shall have it. We will show them Outworld still has it's own strength and has no fear even from a Thundergod." the kahn replied, clenching a fist in annoyance, as he started in the direction of his own personal portal chamber, which led to Raiden's sky temple in Earthrealm. The emperor would find the ones responsible for this insolent attack on his nation and would punish them brutally for what they have attempted, be it the Thundergod himself or anyone other.

* * *

Juri could already taste the success of her mission. The front gates were out of the question, as the guards have probably locked them down way before she got there. She needed a new path and luckily, the assassin found her way into a room containing a device similar to the portal Shadaloo built and with a few quick button presses, Juri could reactivate it and quickly set the coordinates to Earth. Though, what she didn't know was exactly where she set them.

Rushing through the portal, she found herself in a snowy landscape, atop some kind of cliffside on a mountain. Her legs burrowed into the deep snow, making her toes twitch as the cold hit them. Before she could retreat, the portal closed behind her. "Oh great. Now I can deal with frostbite AND a murderous army of Aztec psychos breathing down my neck." she groaned, rubbing her arms against her torso as her legs slowly began moving, carrying her away from the portal and towards the only place she saw fit. A large temple-like building she saw higher up on the mountain. Juri never heard of a place like this before, but figuring they might provide her with food and shelter if she posed as a lost traveler, perhaps they would prove useful. Or she could just break down the doors, kill everyone and take what she wanted like she usually did. Still, she liked to know all her options.

She had been walking for about fifteen minutes, climbing higher and higher in the snow, when something caught her attention. As if someone was running through the snow far away, Juri heard the white carpet cracking under someone's feet, far behind her. Knowing not to take risks, the assassin spun back, her eye glowing and her hands ready to strike, but she didn't do anything. She know what she heard, but turning back, even the advanced mechanical eye resting in her left eye socket couldn't pick up anything. All she saw were sets of footprints, slowly getting filled up by the blizzard and... wait. Two sets of footprints?

Next to her own footprints were something else's. They were clawed and a bit bigger than Juri's own feet. It looked like they belonged to some form of really big reptile, only they stopped about five feet before her, their creator nowhere to be found. Thinking it was probably some animal she scared, the assassin turned to continue her walk through the snow, only to be stopped by _something_ slamming into her face.

Juri recoiled, immediately launching a kick at wherever the invisible wall was, but after her leg sweeped through the clean air, another blow came, this time hitting the back of her head and sending her stumbling forward in surprise. The assassin launched a few kicks, punches and even a fuhajin ( _I'd skip the fancy move names if I were you_ ) into the snow, hitting nothing time and time again. Finally, as she stopped, staying completely still and listening, she again heard the cracking of fresh snow right behind her and jumped into the air, kicking backwards at the attacker with both feet and this time, actually hitting something with full force.

"Gotcha."

As the woman landed back on her feet and took up a fighting stance, her eyes went wide for a moment. In front of her very eyes lay in the snow, slowly turning visible again, a tall, lizard-like man, with green scales and clothes akin to a ninja covering it's body. It quickly sprung back to its feet, taking up a fighting stance as well, so Juri had the opportunity to look at it better. On its face was a mask that seemingly hid humanoid features, though scaly and reptilian-looking face, with green, snake-like eyes that narrowed, eyeing her.

"Well well, this is definitely interesting," Juri chuckled as the two began circling each other, trying to position themselves better and preparing for the now obviously inevitable battle. "What's your name, lizard-boy?" she said, tilting her head to the point where her neck gave a slight crack.

"I am Reptile," he hissed. "And your filthy hands don't belong on an artifact of the great Kotal Kahn. Surrender now and I will grant you a swift death," he said, making Juri smile instead of cower in fear. Not quite what he wanted, but Reptile was confident he could beat her, even if she wasn't willing to surrender.

"And who would make me do that? You and what army, little dinosaur? I got a better idea. How about I just break every bone in your body instead?" she asked, her grin ever present on her face. She'd never fought someone who could turn invisible like a chameleon. This job just might prove interesting after all.

"Do not think that I am such an easy foe. You are nothing compared to us. A mere wretched back alley brawler. A simple street fighter!" Reptile spoke, obvious detest in his voice, which only made his opponent chuckle.

"If you're so confident you'll win, then why don't you come and take this from me?" she asked, wiggling the object of interest in her right hand before pocketing it, taking her fighting stance again.

"Your wish is granted," Reptile spoke, readying himself as well, his reptilian eyes scanning Juri, already calculating what he would do and how he would do it.

The wind hissed through the area, fluttering Juri's pants and hair, as the two combatants eyed each other. The wind blew across their bodies, seemingly giving them an inaudible, silent, yet unmistakeable order.

It was giving the cue to fight.

* * *

 **Authors Notes:**

Hello, my dear League of Readers. I apologize foir my absence, but I had so much work to do outside of that I simply could not tend to my stories as often as I would have liked. But now, the work is finally over and I can focus on improving and continuing the stories I love to write and what I hope you love to read. I will continue the other stories too, but first, this little collaboration (that's a first from this author) is going to be completed. You can expect much more frequent updates, than my usual stories and much better quality too. No hiccups like with the others. As I've said so, this story is a first time collaboration between yours truly and Rassilon001. The idea came up during a discussion of the respective franchises and the authors favorite characters therein, Reptile and Juri Han. And now they must fight each other. (Yaaaaaaaaaay!)


	2. Fight or Flight

For a moment the two fighters regarded each other, sizing one another up, waiting and watching. The air was tense as they gathered up their fighting spirit and prepared to destroy one another in the name of their respective goals.

Then, without warning, it began.

Juri shot forward, legs pumping as she closed the distance between them. The last step saw her vaulted skywards, her left leg raised up almost to her shoulder as her foot was engulfed in a fuschia aura of ki. It came slamming down onto the ground seconds before Reptile dodged out of the way, narrowly avoiding her attack. He couldn't quite avoid the follow up as Juri struck with her small but powerful fists, striking his chest and shoulder and driving him back. His leathery hide and armor offered some protection, but she was incredibly strong for a fighter so slight of build.

But now that he'd gotten a taste of her abilities, it was time to show her some of his own tricks.

The zaterran warrior's mask opened, revealing a row of razor sharp teeth, as Reptile spat a small portion of his acidic saliva at his opponent, sending the tiny green projectile right at Juri's grinning face, missing only slightly as her head moved aside just in the last moment.

She wasn't ready for what happened next, though, as her enemy used his incredible speed to quickly run at her and after dodging a roundhouse kick from Juri and rolling to the side, deliver a set of powerful punches at her right shoulder and face, before following it up with a low sweep, which the assassin jumped away from with ease, the hair on the back of her neck standing up.

"Well, lookie here. Little lizard knows how to fight after all," she exclaimed, blocking two more punches that targeted her face and chest, noting the actual effort she had to put into her defenses, just to keep Reptile at bay. She wasn't used to dealing with an opponent nearly as strong as she was. A chill ran down her spine, but not from the cold.

 _Oh, this is going to be fun, alright_.

Not having such a strong opponent in a while set the blood racing through Juri's veins, keeping her warm despite the cold. If this Reptile was indeed a challenge, she could finally stop holding back. She felt her Feng Shui Engine rotate inside of her left eye-socket as it activated, visibly glowing fuschia as she sized up Reptile in her heads up display. Calculating his strengths and weaknesses and locating several points on his body that might be more vulnerable than others. All the while an aura of fiery power coalesced around her frame.

"Okay snake boy... round two!"

She moved even faster than before, sprinting across the snowy ground and leaping up into the air, launching kick after kick. Reptile blocked, crossing his arms in front of his head, blocking the blows as he went staggering back from the sheer force of them. He ducked under another meant to knock his head off as Juri finally fell back to earth, then leapt up as she swept her leg underneath his. Fully on the defensive, Reptile kept his guard up and fell back, but Juri kept on striking with hard kicks and fast hits, driving him right to the edge of the cliffside. He glanced down in alarm as she leapt up and swept her leg over her body in a high arc. Her dainty foot glowed with pink flames before it came down like a meteorite right where he was standing.

Reptile rolled out of the way with seconds to spare. Groaning, the zateran warrior rolled to his feet as swiftly as he could, glaring through snake eyes at the perpetually grinning Juri, who bounced on the heels of her feet, ready for him.

It was time for him to stop holding back.

His fists approached Juri with speed unparalleled before, so it was quite an amazing feat that his opponent managed to keep up with him. Juri raised either an arm or a leg at just the right moment to misdirect or block a fist, foot or claw aimed at her from almost all directions.

Reptile did his best, using both his acrobatic abilities and superhuman speed to try and break through the other assassin's defense. He rained punch after punch at her from above, dove to the ground and attempted to sweep her legs out from under her, but she either leapt away or planted more of her weight onto that specific foot and managed to stop Reptile's incoming leg with it.

This was certainly fun for Juri, who had never met a being fast enough to match her enhanced abilities and found it a lovely exercise. She never had to block when fighting against others before. Never had to evade or use any defensive tactics. Her blood was running fast through her veins at the thrill of the challenge.

It gave her chills, both from the strength and stamina of her opponent and through the exploration of seemingly new techniques Juri learned long ago, but never found necessary to use in any situation.

Still, she showed her capabilities as she held her own against the reptilian assassin by evading or blocking, but Reptile's speed meant the attacks came quicker than she could make time for an attack, so Juri Han was restricted to a situation she thought she would never be at again and hated it from the bottom of her guts.

She couldn't attack just yet, only stay on the defensive and hope he got tired enough for a chance to counter.

Reptile, on the other hand, was following quite the opposite strategy. Having seen her abilities up close, the zaterran warrior knew he would not stand a chance if the woman managed to draw out the battle. His fighting style and offense managed to suppress her options of attack, but seemingly one wrong move could lead to a quicker end to the battle. And his life too.

Then something else happened.

He managed to land a hit.

His claws slid to the side from her right arm raised to block his blows and landed quickly into her stomach, causing her to emit a gasp, the air knocked out of her for a single moment.

The opening Reptile needed.

He followed it up with a strong blow to her right shoulder, before turning to the left and landing a hit with his elbow to her chest, leaving her to stagger back, but after collecting herself again, Juri gave a small grin.

 _My turn._

Her raised right leg blocked the incoming punch from the front, but as Reptile attempted to follow it up with one more step towards her and raising his other fist to punch her, Juri crouched down swiftly and sweeped his legs out from under him.

 _I'm just getting warmed up, Lizard-boy._

As the saurian man rolled back to escape from what he saw as certain death up close, his reptilian eyes widened to see her advance toward him in a unique fashion.

Juri used both her arms and legs to cover the distance between the two, moving like an Olympic gymnast in the snow, planting first her hands onto the ground, then after a spin, launching herself to her feet, only to continue on and with her momentum still in the jump, landed on her palms again to both launch a furious kick towards her opponent and use her weight in the movements to spin onto her feet again.

This was not good. Not at all.

Juri's feet began carrying a strange, purplish glow as the Feng-Shui engine rapidly added to her power, slowly forming flame-like energy surges around her feet, their power increasing with each spin and jump.

Her plan was clear. As the woman approached him, Reptile held both of his arms up and used the time he had, merely a few moments, to think and calculate. He would have one single opportunity. If Juri's leg hit him, with the amount of energy as added support, no question would tear him apart. He had to be quicker and strike where she wouldn't expect.

While she advanced on the man, the SIN operative's face carried a sadistic grin. She would get him this time. If he leapt to the right side to evade, she would turn quickly and hit him in the right shoulder, possibly tearing it right off, before finishing him with another kick to the face. If he tried to evade to the left, she would sweep his legs out from under him and land a kick right in his guts, sending him off the Cliffside and into certain death. If he jumped backwards, one of her ki attacks would surely hit him, no matter what tried. What happened instead of these, though, surprised even her.

The green-clad ninja stayed completely still, as if waiting for Juri to attack, as if asking for it. And when she was finally in range, he did the unthinkable. Moving quick as a bolt of lightning, Reptile ducked, avoiding the deadly blow by just mere inches, then darted forward, grabbing the leg Juri had right above him at the time and simply stood up, his arms pulling with all his might, launching Juri up and over his right shoulder. And slamming her headfirst into the cold ground.

Juri rolled to her feet and groaned, shaking unsteadily on her legs. That blow had hurt. Her head was still ringing and her vision blurred a moment as she watched. Her slithery opponent took the opportunity to fade out of view, using that camouflage trick he'd ambushed her with. Gritting her teeth, Juri tried to focus on her cybernetic eye, hoping it would reveal his location, but alas, he was perfectly invisible. No light, no heat, no ki, all of it had been suppressed to the point of almost non-existence.

Still, that didn't stop her from kicking up at the air every so often and moving around to try and keep him from attacking her unprotected back. Her leg swept through the snow as it fell in massive flurries, the storm growing worse by the minute.

Even so, his next blow glanced against her ribcage, and by the time she followed up he'd moved out of the way.

Frustrated, Juri kicked at the snow, growling angrily. "Show yourself, you coward!" she screamed at the empty air.

Then an idea came to her.

She swiftly thrust out her foot again, kicking up a huge swell of snowflakes through the air. They fell in flurries and drifts, but she saw enough to spot one area they swirled around and avoided.

"HA!" she leapt forward, tackling Reptile's legs, smashing him down to the ground and fully visible again. He snarled and kicked at Juri, trying to throw her off. She swiftly jabbed his chest and stomach with her fists, fuschia fire following her movements before she leapt up and grabbed his neck between her legs, tightening her murderous thighs around his throat to either strangle him or break his neck.

"Gotcha... now... dino... boy...!" she growled, squeezing tighter.

Reptile growled up at her, his mask split open again, revealing the reptilian face beneath and the sharp teeth that could tear the meat off her bones. Not that it did him any good caught so tight as he was. But when his tongue shot out, thin and impossibly long, Juri flinched back in surprise as it passed close to her face, nearly piercing her organic eye. The distraction was enough for Reptile to grab her hips and swing her around, slamming Juri into the mountainside. She let go as pain wracked her body, falling into the snow as Reptile stumbled backwards, clawing at his throat as he gasped for air.

Wanting to finish the fight soon, she ran at him again, aiming a leaping kick at his face, while positioning herself, so her other foot could smash into his back if he managed to avoid her first kick.

Beating her expectations yet again, the reptilian man simply rolled to the side with speed she didn't anticipate and landed an uppercut right in her stomach, launching her a bit higher in the air, only to make her come crashing down into the snow again. She quickly rolled to her feet and took up her fighting stance once more, earning a hiss from the scaly creature.

She motioned for him to come at her, deciding it was high time this fight reached it's end and while her right hand was used to taunt her opponent, the other, held behind her back as if part of the fighting stance, was actually beginning to glow as she charged it from the Feng-Shui Engine. A hiss and a growl came from her opponent, as if accepting the challenge, soon after which he came running at her, feet moving quicker than she ever seen anyone's move, some kind of animalistic roar escaping his mouth, as he charged into the fight.

He wasn't going to go down easily.

And neither was she.

* * *

The battle dragged on for what seemed like hours, neither opponent willing to concede defeat, each of them finding new purpose and strength to keep fighting that much more fiercely, equally determined to keep getting to their feet each time they were knocked down.

Both fighters were panting heavily, close to exhaustion. Juri's vision blurred as Reptile gave an animalistic roar, charging forward, fist cocked back. Clearly intending this to be a finishing blow, and if he did connect, with all of his weight behind it, he might very well succeed. The SIN fighter gave a yell of her own and threw herself back, kicking up with a charged blast of fuschia fire.

Fist and foot hit each other with the force of a pair of cars colliding head on, almost creating a shockwave from the sheer power behind each attack. Juri and Reptile were unmoved, but the mountainside shuddered. As they both listened, the rumbling didn't cease, it only continued to grow in volume. Slowly, both fighters turned their heads away from each other and up the mountainside, where they could see a wave of snow coming crashing down towards them.

 _Oh Gods_ , Reptile though, staring up in horror.

"Avalanche!" Juri cried out, rather unnecessarily.

Seconds later, the snow hit, and both fighters were swept up in the avalanche, swept off the side of the cliff and vanishing into the spray of white. For a while the mountainside continued to rumble, all the way up to the Lin Kuei Temple further up, but after a while the snow and rock settled and everything became calm again, the quiet broken only by the howling of cold winds.

But of Reptile and Juri... there was no sign of either of them.

* * *

 **Authors Notes:**

Oh my! What has become of our heroes?! What will happen to them in this story?! Are they even still alive?! Check back next time to find out, readers! Until then, see you around!


	3. Cold Survival

For the longest time, there was nothing to break the monotony of the snow and the howling winds, the icy landscape was devoid of life or activity. The landscape far beneath the Lin Kuei Temple was little more than a collection of craggy rocks covered in snow, as they had always been and would be for some time to come.

Then, a hand erupted out of the snow, fingers grasping at the air.

An arm followed, and with a grunt of annoyance, Juri Han pulled herself out of the snow, sweeping aside the heavier drifts to clear room for her body and hauling herself out. She was shivering from head to toe, forced to use her ki to warm her half-frozen limbs. Teeth chattering, the dark-haired assassin swept her gaze out across the cold landscape.

"Well isn't this just god-damned brilliant!" she cursed, rubbing her arms to try and speed up circulation.

 _Should've packed a coat_ , she lamented. But this hadn't been part of her mission briefing. Neither had been tangling with some dino-man ninja. When she got back to SIN she was going to demand double her usual fee for this fiasco. Or start breaking heads. Either or.

Climbing to her feet on unsteady legs, Juri cast her gaze leftwards, then right. Her cybernetic eye, though designed more for reading opponents than providing a GPS, provided a temperature gauge. Unfortunately, all it did was tell her what she already knew, it was bloody cold out. And then the damn thing started to fritz, sparks flitting from her eye as she closed her eyelid to cover the Feng Shui Engine. It must've been damaged in her fight with Reptile.

"DAMNIT!" she screamed, kicking at the snow in frustration.

Her foot struck something hard, and she winced, pulling her foot up to her hands to clutch protectively and doing a little hop-and-dance to keep her balance. Except it hadn't been frozen rock or ice she'd struck.

It had been flesh.

Groaning as he sat up, Reptile shook the snow from his head, trying to focus his reptilian eyes and draw the landscape back into sharp focus.

Immediately, the zaterran rose to his feet, taking up his fighting stance again and ready to continue the battle. He snarled, as sharp pain rushed through his left leg, climbing up his thigh. The reptilian ninja did his best to ignore it, letting his weight fall onto his right foot.

Juri took her own stance too, though did such with a groan as her muscles screamed at her. _We just took an avalanche to the face and this guy is still going? If I don't die here, I'll make sure to plant flowers on his grave once a month... well, maybe once a year_ , she thought, watching her green-skinned opponent, as he raised his right foot to advance.

Then fell to the floor immediately with a hiss of pain. His left leg. It must've been worse than he thought. The pain rushed around beneath his scales, pricking every little nerve it could, as the broken bone was wrenched against his muscles. It would take at least a few days to heal from that. His biology allowed for faster healing than for humans (as well as most other species indiginous to Outworld), but even he couldn't fix a broken bone that quickly.

The sharp claws of reality soon descended on him, though, as Juri stepped up to him, lowering her arms and wearing a proud, sadistic grin on her face.

"Not so tough now, huh?" she asked mockingly, an aura of purple fire slowly appearing around her right fist as she raised it for the killing blow. The Feng Shui Engine was damaged, but it surely had enough juice to finish him off. Just a few seconds to fire up an attack and he was toast. Three... two... one...!

Pain!

That was the first and only thing reaching Juri's brain at the end of her countdown. White hot pain. Reaching around her brain and squishing it, like rotten fruit. Both of her hands flew to the sides of her head, as the SIN agent's knees hit the ground, an animalistic howl of pain leaving her mouth. Sparks left her mechanical eye, before it went fully dark, clouding the vision of her right eye in the blackest of nights.

"Damnit!" her scream echoed through the storm, as her clenched fists slammed into the icy ground.

The reptilian man hissed, his tongue reaching out to clear his eyes of the stray snow particles, as he eyed the strange woman, thinking what her next plan of attack would be. He almost felt disappointed, when she did nothing. She merely knelt there, staring at her clenched fists and the cracks they caused in the ground, unmoving and seemingly in great agony.

"Finish me!" the zaterran yelled at her, surprising the SIN agent and even himself.

"What?!" she asked, looking at the man as if he was crazy. Well, she was talking to a bipedal, green, humanoid lizard, so what was she, then?

"I said... finish me! Grant me an honorable death!" Reptile hissed at her again, tongue lashing out to clean off another batch of white droplets from his face. "I failed my master, failed the mission and will just freeze to death here in the mountains with a broken leg. Do me the honors of finishing me!"

The SIN operative eyed the creature with interest in her eyes. She has never witnessed such loyalty and honor, especially from a creature like this. Well, she never did see any creature like this. The closest was Blanka, but he was all muscly, electric and furry, this guy was more lean and agile, acidic and scaly. Still, it was interesting to see how this dino-man she mistook for a brainless thug had more honor than even Cammy or even the great Chun-li, as she observed.

She couldn't let something like that be destroyed now, could she?

"No."

Her voice cut through the howling winds, sounding assured of herself, for once during this entire mission. "I'm not going to kill you," she said, stepping closer to him. "I might yet have a use for you."

He eyed her warily as she approached.

"This place is all new to me, but you seemed to know yourself around here. Do you know where we can get out of here?" she asked, patting the pocket where she put the dagger. As the ninja nodded, she continued. "If you help me make it out alive, I'll give you back the dagger and we can all part ways to fight another day, sound good to you?"

"I do not need your pity, human!" Reptile snarled, his tongue moving across his eyes again, before the zaterran spit at the ground in front of Juri, causing her to step back with a yelp, as the snow, ice and solid rock melted away a bit.

"It's not pity, you dumbass!" she called back, folding her arms to imitate a somewhat offended pose, but in reality, she was rubbing her appendages to the sides of her torso, hoping it would warm her up. Damn, she felt cold. "I'll be deep-frozen before I get off this mountain and so will you. I need you because I don't know the way and you need me because I have the dagger and your leg is broken. Help _me_ help _you_ , eh?" she stated, stepping even closer to the saurian man and crouching in front of him.

He thought the matter over, studying the young woman in front of him. Then with a snarl, slowly nodded, emerald green eyes narrowing, as he observed her.

"But if you betray my trust-" he warned her, letting out a snakelike hiss, opening his mouth to show off his row of sharp teeth as if to wordlessly imply what he would bring onto her.

"Then what? Whack me with your broken leg until I die?" Juri laughed, staring down at him with some form of pity. "Besides, I'm not stupid. I don't bite the hand that feeds. Ask my bosses," her voice echoed around them, as if to emphasize the truth in her words. Not that there was much truth to be found, she was mostly just waiting for the best opportunity to take over. And for when it would be the most fun.

After a few long moments, the reptilian ninja moved his head again slowly, nodding once more and raising his hand for Juri, who grabbed it and pulled his body up, allowing him to plant his arm across her shoulders, putting much of his weight onto her instead of his own left leg and therefore, allowing her to support him and keep him upright.

"Got a name, big guy?" she asked.

"They call me Reptile," he replied, not trusting her with his true identity just yet.

"Alright, 'Reptile'," the woman said with a stern voice. "Let's start walking. Which way?"

The zaterran nodded once more, without a word and turned them both in one direction, pointing ahead.

"That way," he claimed, though neither of them could see further than a few dozen feet. "There is a portal in that direction. It is secret to most and will not be guarded. The kahn uses it as an escape route and a passage, through which he sends his spies. If we can reach that, we will be away from the cold at least and from there, I can find you a suitable way to return you to your own realm."

Juri only nodded, though she also gave a little smile at the thought of finally finishing up this mission. She helped the lizard-like man along the path he showed her, hoping he was telling the truth.

* * *

They walked for hours. Hours upon hours.

The storm never let up during this time. If anything, it only got worse, winds strong enough to knock them off their feet and chunks of snow that were dangerously close to turning into ice and hail.

With Reptile's leg still mending, their pace was slow. Juri could offer balance but she couldn't really support his weight very well, especially as the snow grew deeper. Fortunately, he was adept at finding easier paths to walk, treading them through where the snow was thinnest and there was a minimum of ice. Only one or two slips slowed them down and thankfully, neither of them fell during these times.

The zaterran warrior said they were indeed making good time, though Juri could still see no sign of the portal, or indeed any other sign of civilization. She doubted Reptile was stupid enough to lead her out into the frozen wastes to die, but he could just as easily be bringing her right into a trap. Fortunately, if he did, he was within ideal kicking distance. This time she'd knock his head clean off his shoulders the moment their next bout opened.

He was no more trusting than his companion either. He saw her techniques and already had an opinion on her fighting style and being the master spy of his lord taught him much of deception, even if the circumstances required a temporary partnership. He doubted she would want to wander to her death in the icy mountains, especially since seeing her such light clothing, he was sure the cold was not kind to her body at all. But a mad dog does bite the hand that feeds it, even if it grew up with the hand. And by the looks of it, this woman was the most rabid, degenerate dog he ever came across. And now he had to work with her to not fail his mission and survive in this deathtrap of a mountain.

Oh, life was just full of irony.

They marched into the icy wasteland, his senses and instincts leading them both and their hopes that he remembered the routes from the time Kotal trained him here, while they both served in Shao Kahn's army. This specific route was abandoned since the Lin Kuei clan, under the leadership of Kuai Liang, declared their opposition with Outworld and allied themselves with Earthrealm, their skills and information making the portal unusable by even him. Or, well, he could use it, only he would be frozen solid long before any of the ninjas came into view. Since then, even the Lin Kuei barely used this route. Outworld's truce with Earthrealm after Ko'atal took over made it unnecessary to guard this portal from the supposed 'allies' so over time, patrols were cancelled and directed to other, more important routes in the upper mountains. How lucky for the two of them right now.

Juri's mind traveled to her training for arctic environments, while in Shadaloo's care. Seth was an asshole, sure and if she was boss, his head would be resting away from his body by now, but at least he trained her well, made sure she was ready for anything. She checked her breathing, her body temperature, her movements, anything that would suggest that something bad was happening. So far, nothing out of the ordinary came up to her, not counting the fact that she felt she would surely catch an earthshattering cold after this, but other than that, everything was as normal as she could keep it. No slowing, hazy vision, slow, long breaths and luckily, no sleepiness.

The same thought was passing through both of their heads.

 _Sooner or later my partner is going to turn on me_ , they thought. It's just what they'd do if the situation was reversed. The only question was when and how. For now, circumstance (and injury) had locked their fates together, but it wouldn't stay that way long. Reptile's leg was healing, and Juri could feel her eye slowly recharging with new energy. Once they reached the hidden portal, their temporary alliance would be at an end.

It was only a matter of time before they were betrayed. So they would have to wait for the ideal moment, and strike first, before the other one had a chance to.

One way or another, only one of them was coming out of this alive.

* * *

 **Authors Notes:** Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalright, we're going through the story and we're having fun, right? Right? (Please say you are too!) *cough* But getting onto more serious matters, both Rassilon and myself hope that you enjoyed this story so far and will continue to do so reading future chapters too. We have a couple of more chapters for you and I have to give my most sincere apologies to the fans and readers of my other stories. They are on hold until I can get my sh*t together enough to rewrite those and upload the new versions. Sorry, but I give my Writer's promise, that they will be redone and completed in time. Until that happens, expect at least a few new stories to pop up here from time to time, either from only me or from the both of us together. Still, for now, have fun and see you soon with another chapter of The Spider and the Viper! Thank you and good night!


	4. Necessary Evil

After a few more hours of walking in the snow, pushing constantly against the blizzard, the two came to a smaller clearing, where the storm seemed to be less intense and somewhat more bearable. Still, they could not stop to admire the view or even rest. They had to quickly reach the portal, otherwise, they would be dead within a few days because of starvation and the hypothermia.

That was, when disaster struck.

Out of nowhere, six wolves leapt at the two, using the storm as cover and hiding in the snow, using their natural white fur as camouflage, they easily crept up on them, before jumping into action. Only their howling battle cry gave them away before their prey could be completely overwhelmed. The SIN agent managed to kick one away, while the zaterran slapped two in the face with his tongue. But that did not deter the hungry predators, as they observed the two, circling in the snow, testing their defenses and waiting for an opportunity to attack.

This was bad. Really really bad.

Juri and Reptile quickly went back-to-back.

"Oh this day just gets better and better," Juri muttered, raising up her arms and trying to bring her fingers together into tight fists. They felt numb from the cold, but she managed. With her Feng Shui Engine off-line, though, she was going to need to make this quick.

"Can you handle the three on the left?" Reptile asked, shifting his balance on his uninjured leg and taking stock of his fighting moves, hoping for something to end this fight swiftly.

"Tell you what big guy, I'll take out the four on the left. You just watch my back," she replied, making sure to add a flirtatious tone to the last statement. She honestly did hope he watched it though, if she got hit she was positive she was done for. So the only solution was to strike fast and hit them before they hit her.

Juri was in motion in seconds, sprinting across the snow and lashing out with powerful and swift kicks. The first wolf she reached was quickly struck in the guts and sent flying, hopefully off the face of the Earth, as another leapt at her from the side, teeth aimed to gnaw at her arm.

Reptile stood still, awaiting the attacks and they came swiftly. A wolf leaping at him from the right got punched in the face by a reptilian hand, before another was quickly grabbed and tossed away by his long tongue, ripping it's head clean off and dragging it into his mouth, consuming it.

Blinking in astonishment at the display she just witnessed, Juri had but one word to describe it. Well, maybe two.

"Well that was... super gross, just so you know that!" The woman yelled to her ally, as she was wrestling with a wolf, while it's buddy was sneaking up on her from behind.

Reptile noticed this and as quickly as he could, spat a wad of his acidic spit at the wolf, catching it right in the head and making it whine pitifully as the acid melted it's white fur, then the entire head away. Seeing this, Juri quickly grabbed the neck of her final opponent, twisted it with a crack, killing the animal instantly and then tossed it at the second enemy of her companion, causing a loud whine to erupt from the wolf as it's brethren came crashing into it with force great enough to break bones.

The final wolf tried one last leap at Reptile's face, only to have its head grabbed and smashed against the ground by the quick zaterran, splattering blood and brainmatter around it, it's skull cracked in almost perfect halves.

"Phew. Well, that's done." Juri commented, as the saurian settled down onto his backside, gasping and sighing. His wound had been agitated, and Juri didn't feel too good herself. The adrenaline was rapidly wearing off from the fight, letting the cold close in on them both again. They needed to keep moving.

Suddenly, an idea flashed inside the SIN assassin's head.

"Ooh, I know!" she exclaimed, approaching the corpse of the wolf Reptile blasted in the face with his spit, noticing that it's front paws were also completely gone because of the acid, two bones sticking out of its front legs. "That should do it."

After a few short seconds of tugging, Juri ripped the two bones out of their owner's legs, approaching the zaterran next.

"What do you think you are doing, woman?" He questioned suspiciously, eyeing the pieces of bone his companion gathered.

"Fixing your leg, dumbass. All we're going to get is killed in this storm unless we do something about your fucking leg and I got just the thing for it. Well, half of it. Got any rope on you?" She asked, winking at him. "And no, you can't tie me up with it."

Sighing once more, the lizard-like man reached into his armor and pulled out some rope from a hidden compartment, which she combined with the bones to make splints. It wasn't as good as ambulance guys or actually experienced people could do, but hey, she did her best. And maybe it helped him. Just set his leg back in place, put the bones to his leg, tie them to his leg with the rope and bingo. She was done. Just had to tie a knot and everything would be just fine. Not that he liked her any better, but even Reptile had to admit, what she did was awfully considerate.

She tightened the bandage, perhaps unnecessarily tight, and Reptile could not stifle a growl of pain.

"Oh don't be such a baby," Juri teased, tying it off. "This'll last you until you get back to your precious little palace and some professional healers."

Accepting her hand up, Reptile stood on his good leg, testing his other one gingerly. The splint held, and he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the broken bone continue to knit back together as his natural regenerative abilities went to work.

They began walking, walking who knows where? Juri began doubting that Reptile himself knew. Or, well, she assumed he did not know precisely, but he trusted his instincts instead.

She just hoped that they would work. They were the only hope each other had of getting out of here alive.

If not... well, she'd have to come back as a ghost and haunt the region. Or work on taking over Hell.

Either or.

* * *

Finally, unable to go further, Reptile slumped heavily against Juri, forcing her to concede she'd reached her limit. Her leg muscles were screaming at her, both from the fight and from the long march, not to mention the cold and she needed rest. Judging from the way he was breathing, irregular and rapidly, the zaterran was feeling much the same way.

"We need to find a place to stop," Juri said. "A cave or something."

He shook his head wearily. "If we stop now we may freeze... we have to keep going."

"Are we close enough to make it in the next twenty minutes?" the dark-haired woman asked pointedly. "If not, we'll freeze anyway. We need shelter. Now."

It took them a little while longer to find one admist the snow and rock, but eventually, the unusual pair found a suitable cave that seemed hidden enough from the storm. It was not fashioned of ice, but solid rock instead, and they moved deep enough inside they could escape the worst of the wind and the cold. Fortunately, Reptile had some standard survival gear on him, including a flint and tinder, and they managed to locate some petrified wood they could burn to get a small campfire going. Its pale light flickered against the cave walls as it provided a most welcome warmth to both of the weary combatants. And since the snowstorm was still raging outside like there was no tomorrow, it was much appreciated by the both of them.

"We will have to wait until the blizzard dies down. If we go out while it is raging, no matter how strong we are, death is the only fate we will receive," Reptile stated, not bothering to face Juri. She, in turn, observed him with watchful eyes, still wary of his every movement. This in turn naturally drew her gaze to his still broken leg as he settled into a crouch on the ground in front of the fire, hissing as he unsettled the wound.

"We should probably re-bandage that, big guy," Juri said, shifting closer to offer her help. Reptile stubbornly ignored her, doing the work entirely by himself. He then lay down on his side as close to the fire as he could and tried to rest, hoping to wake fully healed.

He was utterly unprepared, however, for when the assassin sharing the cave with him stretched out her arms and settled down in front of her scaly companion, snuggling up next to his body like a cat cuddling to its owner. She even contemplated curling one of her legs over his just to tease him, when his wholly expected response came.

"W-what do you think you are doing, woman?!" the zaterran hissed, eyes widening and hands pushing himself away from her instantly. His voice sounded shocked and his eyes widened. Juri was sure that if he had eyebrows, he would be raising one or both of them right now.

"What? We gotta share bodyheat or otherwise we'll be ice cubes ahead of time," she said, having a small, purplish glint in her eye that did nothing to comfort Reptile. If anything, it set him only further on edge.

"Do _not_ do that again. Understand?" he hissed, crawling away from her to the other side of the cave, leaving the SIN agent to shrug, lean back and enjoy the tiny source of heat by herself. The cold would be worse, since he was further away from the fire now, but the saurian knew he couldn't let his guard down. Who knew what she planned and who knew how strong she was right now? The whole malfunction thing she did before may as well be a trick to make herself look more helpless and warrant his assistance. Just so she can kill him and leave his body to rot when they reach the portal.

Or worse, kill him, skin his carcass and wear his hide as a belt. Not a noble fate befitting a zaterran warrior.

The purple eyed assassin, on the other hand, looked no more worried or annoyed than she was when they reached the bottom of the mountain. In fact, she looked like she enjoyed the whole thing. The entire scenario was interesting to her and despite her intentions of ripping Seth's head clean off his neck once she got back home, Juri had to admit it to herself that it has been a long time since she had this much fun in a single night. Plus, her curiosity was spiked too. It wasn't much, really, but enough to make her ask questions. As the reptilian man settled down away from her and began his work again, feeling the broken leg with his hands to try and find the part where his bone was broken, she called out to him.

"So, what's your deal anyway?" her voice echoed back from the inside of the cave.

"What do you mean, woman? I have no 'deal' and even if I had, it would not concern you." The reptilian spat back, some annoyance clear in his voice.

 _Guess he's still pissed because I broke his leg,_ Juri thought. _Well, maybe I should apologize. But then again, it was the_ avalanche _that broke his leg, really. But mountains cannot apologize and I caused the avalanche, so... nah. Still not happening._

"Okay first, FYI? It's Juri. Juri, Mr "Reptile." I meant why you're with the savage dudes?" she asked once more, continuously rubbing her arms against her chest. Her nipples got so hard in the cold, she could feel them through her top. _Damn. I like hard nipples as much as the next girl, but these feel like they're going to freeze and pop off any second._ "I mean, I understand that your king or whatever likes his Aztec theme, but I see no feathers on you. No offense," she spoke in a carefree voice, not realizing how thin the ice she treaded on really was.

"How... dare you?" her newfound ally hissed, turning back towards her and glaring not merely daggers, but killing machines of all kinds at her. "My leader, Kotal Kahn, is honorable beyond your comprehension. Do not dare speak of him like that again or I will have your head in an instant!" he declared, his words were filled with remarkable venom. And not just figuratively, since the floor in front of him slightly melted as his acidic spit hit the ground.

"Alright, alright. No talking about the Aztec dudes again. Got it," Juri answered, holding up her arms in a defensive position. "I was just curious, you know?" she continued, earning a questioning look from him, urging her on. "It's not every day I meet someone like you, much less someone like you, who can also keep up with me, so I was just curious."

"Your world must have poor fighters then," Reptile remarked.

She laughed at that, head thrown back. "You can say that again! Come on, it's not just that. You seem... out of place. Then again, I think I saw a guy dressed like a cowboy too, so maybe I'm just expecting too much logic these days," she chuckled, leaning back against the rocky wall, pulling her legs up close and rubbing her chest to warm herself.

"I am not from this world," the zaterran replied after a long pause. "Or Outworld. I am from somewhere else entirely. I joined the Great Kotal Kahn by choice when I... left my home. That is all I am willing to share with you, for that is all you deserve to know," his voice was calmer, but still held some level of annoyance and arrogance. As if he took it as an insult or violation of personal space, that she was asking about his background. Juri knew that feeling all too well. She felt like that before too.

"Hey, big guy, it's alright, I know exactly how you feel," she said, rolling onto her side and propping her head up on her arm. "I'm Korean originally, but if I went back to the Land of the Morning Calm, they'd lock me up with all the other _freaks_ the first chance they get. I know how it is. But at least us lone-wolves could stick together, huh?" and this time, she was sincere, actually, surprising even herself. She was never sincere, especially in these kinds of matters, yet she couldn't help, but pity this poor bastard somewhat.

He was surely alone, serving someone he didn't even like because he was probably chased away from home. Just like her. That made them somewhat similar. To her own surprise, though, all she earned was another glare.

"You know _nothing_ ," he snarled. "You cannot possibly understand me and you will never shall. The moment we reach the portal, we part ways and I take the dagger back to Outworld. No further alliances with the likes of _you,_ " he hissed, his tongue occasionally darting out to lick one of his eyes. It was a somewhat cute tick in Juri's opinion, putting a silver lining in their association.

"Alright, fine. I get it," she replied, unperturbed by his reaction. She'd heard this same sort of 'honor and discipline' sort of shtick from others before, after all. "I'm just kinda curious, though. Where you live, what's your real name, favorite food, that kinda thing. You don't eat little boys and girls, do you?"

That earned her another sharp look, but not from the accusation about eating children. When she asked about his real name.

"What? You didn't expect me to believe that Reptile wasn't a nickname, when you said you weren't from this world yourself, did you?"

He gave no answer to that, but instead turned away and lay onto the cold ground. He tried to sleep, even though the stinging in his leg made it almost impossible, but he had to try. The environment wouldn't get any kinder and if they were found by the Lin Kuei, it would mean death was the least of their worries.

Just... try to... sleep...

* * *

 **Authors Notes:**

Hey-ho, my dearest league of readers! I hope you are dealing with the almost unbearable heat of summer well and that you continuously enjoy our story, for the support of which both Rassilon and myself thank you. And we hope you will continue to stay with us as this unlikely alliance continues it's way towards safety…or not. You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out! But for now, enjoy and good night.


	5. Spider's Web

Reptile awoke with a start, grimacing as he felt pains shooting up and down his injured leg. Evidently he'd put pressure on it during the night, and it had pins and needles a thousand times if not worse running through the muscles. Gingerly, he lifted it up and tried to flex his toes, hoping to restore blood circulation.

As he shifted, he felt something against his back. It was that damned woman again, cuddling him like a stuffed doll in her sleep. Reptile stifled a growl. For all his protests, he did have to admit she was very warm, and as a zaterran, his body temperature was naturally low. Sharing body heat may have indeed been the right call to make out here in this frozen tundra. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it. He simply wouldn't raise a protest until she woke up again.

And when she finally opened her eyes and with a yawn, grunt and stretching of her arms, made it known that she was conscious again, he gave voice to his feelings as openly as it was possible in the situation. She might call him rude or even use the very human term "Asshole" but it did not matter anymore. She was too close and he already told her that once before.

"Get off of me," he growled at her, pushing the arms reaching and grasping at his scaled shoulders away, raising his body on his arms and his good leg as much as in his wounded state was available and crawled further away from her, giving clear signs of his desire to be left alone.

"Gee, you don't have to be that big of a dick, Reptile. I was just snuggling up to you to keep us warm."

The SIN agent responded with a groan as she stood up, cracking some of her joints and walking a few meters to observe the weather outside. The entrance was piling with snow, which kept some of the cold out but was also trapping them inside. Still, they were in no immediate danger for at least a few more hours.

"Storm's still going. I suggest we stay here for some more time before we head out. Any objections?" After only receiving a groan to her last question, she assumed that was his way of saying 'No, none at all, dear Juri,' and moved back to him, sitting down next to his laid form, leaning her back against the cold rock wall of the cave, earning another groan and him turning away some more, eyeing the wall in front of his face.

"You know, some smiling never hurt a man," she began, sighing once more as she watched the miserable looking reptilian. "Or lizard. Or I guess it's more of a grin for you guys, isn't it?"

He grumbled, refusing to look back at her. Damn, did this really hurt him that much? He intrigued her the more she was with him, made her curious. More than anyone else has before and that's saying something. The fact that Dan managed to stay alive through all of the crazy things happening to them didn't raise her eyebrows this much.

She'd just started to believe he wasn't going to give her an answer when he finally did.

"What reason is there to smile?" came the long awaited response from the saurian. "Why give signs of joy, when there is no joy to cause them?" he went on, seemingly also curious about what she wanted.

"Gee, you must be really fun at parties," A sigh left her mouth once again. "I meant you could be lighter more often. You look like you got a six inch pole shoved up your ass all the time and I have no idea why."

"What do you care, wretch?" came the short response. He really wasn't interested in talking, but Juri didn't mind.

'It's more fun when they struggle' was her personal policy during fights, so she guessed it was also good for when the mission was prying secret free of people's minds and not massacring them.

"I'm bored and you're the only thing I can talk to here," she responded, smirking somewhat. As much as she disliked talking to others, he intrigued her enough to make her interested in chatting.

"Strict orders and a tyrannical rule has been all I've known for a long time. My behavior adjusted to the emperor I served and Kotal Kahn has not changed that in the slightest."

"Wait, so the Aztec guy isn't the first to hold the leash? Who was it, then?" her curious reply came, hoping to peel away another layer of secrets from him, slowly but surely making a complete profile of him.

"You invade our realm and you know nothing of us?"

"Hey, first off, 'invade' is a strong word. Second, I know enough to know that _you guys_ tried to invade _us_ first," she snapped, remembering from her briefing the history of the Mortal Kombat Tournaments. "So get off your high horse."

A long silence followed. Asking about Shao Kahn stirred some distinctly... unpleasant memories in Reptile. Remembering that crazed beast also reminded him of the horrors his people had to live and die through, leaving only him alive in the end. The memories were not pleasant. But Juri had earned the name of his past master with her abilities and the zaterran slowly responded.

"He was a man of great power, but also of greed and arrogance. His one true passion was conquest. And that which he could not control, he destroyed. He is the one who invaded Earthrealm and tried to subjugate it," he explained, rolling onto his back so he could face her. His words were clear as his reptilian eyes bore into hers. "His name was Shao Kahn."

"Sounds like a tough boss," she replied, bending a leg at the knee and wrapping her arms around it.

"I served him because I had to," he clarified. "Not because I desired it. It was either servitude or death after my realm was invaded. Having experienced the rule of Kotal Kahn, I would not change my decision now though. If nothing else, I lived to see a better tomorrow."

"So the older dude was worse than the one right now, huh? Man, I hear you there. Same thing was with me, pretty much. Bison was a major asshole. I mean that guy's ego was only matched by his hunger for power. He had me for a while, until he sent me off to Seth, who creeps me out on occasion. Overall though, he's somewhat less of a douche than others."

To Reptile's curious glance, she continued. "Guess we've got something else in common, huh? I mean, you hate your old boss, I hate my old boss. You kinda like your new boss, I kinda hate my new boss less."

He was starting to wonder if she had a point... but more likely was the notion she was hoping to get his guard down. Juri knew that Reptile was healing, and would be a threat again soon as the storm passed. Likely, she was planning to get him to relax so she could find a good place to plant her newly acquired dagger.

"We are not at all alike. Forget that foolish notion," he snarled, his tongue darting across his eyes.

"Well, yeah, you're right. My family was murdered in front of me, while you got conscripted by a warlord who likes conquering people and-" she was silenced by his hand on her neck. Damn he was fast, even with a broken leg. Still, the fact that his stuck up attitude annoyed her enough into blurting out how she got into this mess scared her a little. She focused on his eyes, which were shooting daggers now.

"Silence! You know nothing of what you speak so lightly about! Do you wish to know what happened to my people?!" he questioned, rage boiling in his voice as the zaterran man pulled himself closer with his free hand.

"They were eradicated by the Kahn. All of them, except me. My family died along with my entire planet and I was kept as a pet because they dared to fight back against the armies of Outworld. You shall never experience that kind of pain!" his words were spat like venom and for a few seconds, Juri was shocked. She did not expect that and for a second, she was made even more sad for this man. Killing one's family was excruciatingly painful enough, but massacring their entire species (in case one actually cared about their species, quite unlike her) was something only a lunatic does.

"... sorry. You are right. I was an ass," she said after a few long moments of staring into his green, serpent-like eyes. His only response was a growl, after which he released her and pulled away, not looking at her at all.

 _I really shouldn't have went there_ , she thought. The first person in ages she was actually interested in learning more about and here she goes pissing them off into silence. _Good job, Juri. You would be even more fun at parties_ , the SIN agent thought, leaning back against the wall and looking at her feet, which were feeling more cold than comfy. And she had no desire to lose her toes to frostbite.

Scooting closer to the fire, Juri pushed her feet right up in front of it as close as she dared and started to rub her toes, trying to increase the circulation of her blood. The angle didn't make it easy, but she was flexible enough to do so without any great difficulty.

A silence fell over the cave, broken only by the occasional crack of the firewood as the flame continued to burn.

* * *

It took at least another agonizing hour until the two were on speaking terms again.

Juri heard the snow crunching and looked up to see Reptile, as he carefully approached her, while pressing one forearm against the icy wall, limping towards her. He was doing his best to not put much weight on his slowly, but surely recovering leg. Her eyes widened for a second, as she did not expect him to be standing after such a short time. She began to stand in order to help her companion, but a short handwave from the saurian ninja stopped her, as he sat down next to the fire, not too far from Juri.

"I..." he began, his voice a lot softer than before. "Apologize. Your disrespect of something you had no knowledge about infuriated me, but I was wrong in my anger. Forgive me," he said, looking into her eyes with, as she noticed, actual sadness in his gaze.

She sighed, patting him on the shoulder with a small smile. She did not even care anymore and for some reason, was glad he came to her. This past few hours or so, for a reason beyond the SIN agent's understanding, made her interested in him. Not romantically, no, Juri would never let herself go to that length, but he intrigued her. She was a living weapon, who was kept around to fight and kill other people with powers matching hers in a world filled with shady businesses, criminal organizations and murderers, one of which was her, so it was a nice change of pace to see someone actually noble in spirits and loyal to something more substantial than money and power. That was a rarity she almost thought impossible to find these days.

"Hey, we both disrespected each other. I'm sorry too," she replied after a few seconds, giving him a small grin. And she was sincere. For some reason unknown to her, she felt that torturing this reptilian warrior, who lived through the total annihilation of his race, by mocking him, would not feel good like it did with basically anyone else. How curious.

"I would like to..." he suddenly continued, watching her with his eyes curiously, occasionally making her smile by lashing his tongue across his eyes. "I would like to know more about your life before all this. What happened to you that led your way to... such matters," he said, still looking into her eyes.

She thought about it for a second, before shrugging.

"Ah, to Hell with it, I guess I can spill. Not like I'm going anywhere. But I want something from you too," she replied, a small smile forming onto her lips. Which instantly made him wary of what her intentions were about it. What was this strange woman planning?

"What would that be? If your intention are to humiliate me-" he began, before being silenced by a held up hand from Juri.

"No, no, no, worry not oh knight of lizards," she said teasingly, waving her hand dismissively.

She then lifted up a foot and wiggled a toe at him as if to wave hello. "My feet are freezing off right now. Could you rub them a bit?" her question was quickly followed by her legs being pushed in front of him, the ends of which landing in his lap, her feet wiggling against his thighs as her heels felt cold against his scaly skin, which made him wince slightly. He did not feel cold as much as she did, or at least he did in a different way, than her. But, her request wasn't wholly unreasonable. Slowly, his hands moved, then gently touched her toes, before softly enveloping them in his hands, slowly starting to rub the soft feet pushed against him.

"Oooh that's _good_ , thanks." she said, letting out a sigh that sounded strangely... erotic to simply be her enjoying the warmth of his hands, but regardless, he carried on.

"So, where should I begin? I once had a nice little family and lived in a nice little home in Korea, then Shadaloo happened and kinda... murdered my entire family," she said quickly, looking away for a second and sighing with what Reptile assumed was the thought of her family's death. He could relate to that sort of pain.

"Then, they took me in and did some weird science-y shit to my body so I could become their ultimate weapon...or whatever, installed this piece of scrap in my eye too," she explained, tapping her finger against the dark, non-operational eye of hers. Now that he looked at her with more attention did he realize how strange it actually felt that one of her eyes almost glowed with a beautiful purple color, while her other eye was a completely black orb resting in her eye-socket. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before. To say it was disturbing was a mild understatement, and yet... she did not seem unduly troubled by it.

"Story of my life in a nutshell. Oh, maybe, then they sent me on assassination missions, killing off their competitors and enemies and in one second, this idiot Chun-li was on my ass, along with some others and I'm marked as a psycho murderer or something. Great, right?"

This was strange for her. She was awfully talkative, especially about her family. That was the one thing she had, she'd vowed to kill anyone who was stupid enough to mention. But whatever, she thought. He was nice enough to agree to rub her feet to save them from frostbite. And she was too cold to care anyways.

"I am sorry," he said suddenly, her feet feeling warmer within the surprisingly gentle hold of his hands. Then, shaking his head, clarified his meaning. "I am sorry _for you_. That must have been a horrible experience to undergo. And those who perpetuate such crimes... deserve to burn in the Netherrealm for all eternity."

Reptile continued his gentle foot massage, looking into her eyes with more respect than before.

"Ah, they are going to get it one day or another. And miss Li is doing her job, after all. Just wish I could kick that bastard Bison in the balls myself. About a thousand times. But it's good to know at least the asshole who killed _your_ loved ones got what he deserved," Juri replied with a chuckle, causing him to smile, or grin, as his facial structure made it appear.

Considering they'd been trying to kill each other only a few hours prior... this was turning out to be a very strange day for both of them. This would either be the start of a beautiful, but also really weird friendship, or she was losing her mind because of the cold. Maybe a bit of both? But who cared anymore? Her feet were gently rubbed by a somewhat gentle reptilian warrior, so what did she have to complain about? The situation had definitely not been part of her expectations for the day.

"So, you mentioned family you lost earlier..." she inquired gently, well aware this was a delicate subject to broach. "Did that include a wife? Kids?"

Reptile shook his head slowly. "Not that sort of family."

"Good," she finally said, with a small little smile. Unlike her bold smirks and crazed grins, this one was almost subdued. Almost shy.

"Why is that good?" he asked, puzzled.

"... just is."

The fire continued to crackle and pop, the cave feeling warmer than it had a moment ago.

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

(The authors wish to confess they haven't been able to discover if Zaterrans are cold-blooded or not, though based on their research they aren't, strictly speaking. Just cool-blooded, like the dinosaurs seem to have been.)

Hey there everybody! Sorry for the two-day delay, but I have limited access to the internet these days and for the past three or so days, the weather is kind of a prick around here and you guessed it, I can only access the internet, when outside, so there's that. Worry not, though, as the story will go on and I hope you continue to read and enjoy it as much as we enjoy writing it. Have fun and see you next time!


	6. Shedding Skin

While things were growing warmer inside the cave shared by the two fighters, outside the storm continued to howl like a great beast, blanketing the landscape with a chill that stole your soul away.

Even so, orders were orders, and the two men dispatched from the Lin Kuei temple were bound to follow them to the letter.

Both were dressed in the garb of Lin Kuei shinobi, their ninja garments lined with fur to ward off the cold. One was using a pair of binoculars to scan the landscape for signs of movement, the other held a thermal imager to check for signs of heat. Neither was proving very useful at the moment in the primary mission: rescuing Reptile. When the zaterran warrior had failed to report in after a day, Kotal Kahn had grown concerned, and contacted the Lin Kuei clan to ask for their aid in finding him. It seems they had failed.

But they had recovered something else.

As they homed in on the site of the avalanche, they did manage to pick something up. Not heat or movement, but a lingering essence of chi. A mystic energy only found in certain warriors... and weapons. Digging up the snow and ice was a tedious chore, but ultimately they found part of what they were looking for. The kamidogu. But of the assassin who'd stolen it, or the warrior sent to retrieve it, all evidence of them had been burried in the snow.

* * *

Returning to the palace of Outworld, the two shinobi presented themselves to the Emperor, Kotal Kahn.

"My lord, we have retrieved the kamidogu," reported the first of the two, kneeling before him and unwrapping the covers to show him the weapon. The aged ruler nodded in approval, pleased to have his dagger returned to him as he accepted it into his hands.

"Excellent work. And what of Reptile?" asked the Kahn.

The other ninja shook his head. "We haven't found him... and even if he survived the fight with the thief or the avalanche, he wouldn't last long out there. By now likely the snow has buried him."

The Emperor of Outworld gave a weary sigh, handing the dagger to a subordinate. "Return this to the vault. A warrior gave his life to ensure its return. Do not let it go missing again."

The guard nodded and did as he was bade quickly.

Kotal Kahn stood up as he departed. "Reptile was a formidable warrior and a loyal servant. His sacrifice will be honored and remembered for all time. You two may return to your own realm. Tell your grandmaster, that Outworld is grateful for your assistance in this matter."

The two shinobi bowed, vanishing almost as quickly as they had come. They'd be returning to the Lin Kuei Temple soon. As they departed, the Emperor made his way to a nearby balcony, watching the rolling, thundering skies of Outworld, and mourned the loss of his warrior. True, he had others, and the loss of Reptile alone was no great damage from a strategic standpoint, but Kotal was not like his predecesor who saw his soldiers as little more than puppets and pawns. He cared for them, if only a little. And Reptile was the last of his kind. Now that he was gone... so too was the Zateran race.

"So passes another noble warrior in the service of Outworld, ma his soul find peace in that foreign realm." he intoned quietly, arms folded behind his back. Thunder crashed on the horizon as Kotal Kahn returned to his chambers and his duties.

Little knowing that the saurian warrior still lived...

* * *

Lived and had finally found the time to heal. By the time the snowstorm had passed and they were on the move again, Reptile's leg was fully healed. He continued to limp for the time being just a little, not wanting his erstwhile ally to be aware of just how deadly he was once more.

She in turned, kept the quiet fact that her Feng Shui engine was once again running at 100% capability as they once more trudged through the snow towards their destination.

"Is it much further?" she inquired.

Getting his bearings, Reptile shook his head. "No, not far."

"Good. I am officially sick of the cold. Next time Seth better assign me something nice and tropical, like an island resort maybe, or I'll knock his block off."

He gave a grunt, half-ignoring her as they approached the location of the portal.

The golden ring of outworldian metal stood out from the rocky wall which it was built into, it's material shining brightly through the storm, like a beacon of light, that has been leading the two for the past minute or so. It shone with an ethereal glow that seemingly came from the metallic object itself, but was in fact the visible presence of the magic binding it to both realms.

It was much warmer here, the snow was half-melted and the air felt pleasantly comfortable for both the zaterran warrior and the human assassin.

Having reached their destination, Reptile paused and turned, squaring his shoulders and narrowing his eyes at the violet-eyed woman beside him. Now was the moment of truth, it seemed.

"We have reached our destination," he declared. "As promised. I have fulfilled my part of the bargain. Now it is your turn, Juri Han."

She glanced up at him, eyes flicking between the saurian warrior and the nearby portal. Was she thinking of making a break for it? His whole body tensed as she gave a little nervous laugh. If she would run, his surprise attack would stop her before she could take even a step. His suspicions seemed to be perfect. She merely pretended to warm up to him, but in fact was planning her escape all along. Just as he expected.

"Yeah, I uh... I guess you did. Good going, big guy."

His reptilian eyes narrowed.

"Uhm, well, see... the thing is..."

"What?" he growled dangerously.

"I uhm... I can't fulfill my part of the bargain," she said, meeting his gaze finally.

"You would break our deal? After all we have been through together your treacherous nature wins out after all?" He asked, feeling proud of his sharp senses, but also feeling sad for some reason. He could not explain it, but the fact that her warming up to him was a mere façade afterall felt…disappointing.

"What? No!" she protested. "I'd totally give you the stupid dagger... uhm... if I still had it," she added sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"You don't have it?!"

"Heh," she gave a humorless laugh and a little shrug.

"You stupid woman!" His yell came more as a roar and in a second, Reptile's clawed hands were grabbing her shoulders, his intentions clear.

She threw up her arms to break his hold and shoved him back. "I didn't have a choice!" she yelled. "We're enemies. If I didn't have some leverage you would've left me to die back in the snow."

Juri had a point, but Reptile was too enraged to conceed it. "Now I'll correct that mistake and make sure you die here and now!"

He lunged at her once more, and she grabbed his shoulders as the two of them went tumbling into the snow, wrestling for dominance. For a moment, she had him pinned underneath her, but Reptile's superior size and strength allowed him to turn the tables and throw Juri into the snow. He grabbed at her throat, intent to choke the life out of her, but she tucked a foot in close and kicked him in the stomach, knocking him off of her.

Gasping for breath, they regarded each other warily, half expecting another attack any second.

Then Juri started laughing.

The sheer absurdity of it all had finally gotten to her it seemed. Reptile regarded her with a confused expression, his features twisted with such an absurd look that it only made her laugh harder. And the laughter was contagious, it seemed, for after a few moments a dry chuckle escaped his lips as well. This was utterly idiotic. They were fighting over nothing. There was no point to it anymore.

None at all.

* * *

It seemed like forever before they finally stopped laughing, and Juri wiped some tears from the corner of her eyes, watching Reptile as he slumped to a sitting position beside the portal. His ticket home... which he could no longer take. He failed afterall. And he knew what that meant if he ever came before the Kahn again.

"So what'll you do now?" she asked, adjusting her top and stretching out her arms above her head.

"I do not know," Reptile replied. "I should return to Kotal Kahn and face my punishment..."

"... which likely means execution," she guessed.

He nodded. "I don't wish to die just yet... but it's my duty...and what of you?" he asked, turning the question back on her with cobra swiftness. "I imagine your masters will not be pleased with your failure either."

"Not so much," Juri replied with a frown. "Been thinking of going freelance for a long while now... maybe this is a sign, eh?"

"Freelance?"

"On my own," she clarified. "Get paid on a job-by-job basis."

"Ah... a mercenary," he guessed. The thought held some appeal. "There is some appeal in such a lifestyle, I suppose..."

"It's living," Juri pointed out a major Pro in the job.

"What about your masters?" he asked. "They do not seem likely to forgive you for deserting anymore than mine would."

"Screw 'em," she declared. "I've had enough fun playing fetch for Seth and those S.I.N. bastards. It's about time I struck out on my own."

Juri stepped up to the portal, eyeing the surface of it with some trepidtation. She never liked these things, it felt so weird and so dangerous to simply hop, skip and jump through to your destination. Plus, she had no idea where this one might lead. Sure, Reptile said it led back to the main portal chamber in the palace of his emperor, but if she gets there, then what? Where would she go? America, Japan, Shadaloo, Earthrealm, Outworld...or hundreds of other potential destinations. But in a way, that also made her giddy at the possibilities. She might finally be able to find a place she truly belonged. Somewhere Juri Han could just be Juri Han again and not "Juri Han, the Psycho" or "Juri Han the Terrorist." Some place. . .peaceful for a change. Who knows? It might even be fun.

"You needn't be on your own," Reptile said, stepping up by her side. "I will accompany you."

"Why? To watch my back?" she asked, half-teasing.

He grimaced. "Not that you need it." His eyes stayed on hers, as if waiting for a response, that never came. Just as she did, the saurian warrior changed during their time in the snow. He felt different than he was before. Perhaps he was able to see past his loneliness and pain for his people, if anything. It felt good, if out of place in his mind, but what mattered that it was a good feeling. And such were few and far between in his brain.

They regarded one another for a moment. From two different worlds (literally) they'd found a connection in each other that couldn't be ignored. A kindred soul. As unlikely as it might have been, the zaterran shinobi and the korean assassin looked at one another and saw in many ways a reflection of themselves.

As they walked closer to the portal, the two stood next to each other, staring into the magical doorway that led out of here. They had a chance, both of them knew that much. Given Reptile's knowledge with the portals, he could easily set their destination and get her out of Outworld once more, before any of the guards noticed the two of them returning through the portal.

As he stared on, something touched his right hand. Then coiled itself around it and held the scaly limb gently. Looking down, he saw the SIN agent's hand grasping his softly. To the questioning look, all he received as a response was a small smile and a wink and suddenly, everything felt clear. They took their steps together, approaching the doorway.

They stepped through the portal together, not to be seen again for quite some time.

* * *

 **Authors Notes:**

Please leave a review if you enjoyed, and maybe a favorite as well? So, that's it, amigos! End of story, finito, conec, die end, gg, hope you enjoyed it and see you next time on either Rassilon's page or mine! See you around and hope you enjoyed this story!

(P.s: Is it really the end of it? Hmm, I don't know. We shall see, but until then, read & review and don't forget to have fun!)


	7. Hybrid Animal

Seventeen years later...

* * *

Relations between Earthrealm and Outworld had been steadily improving over the past few years once the kamidogu was returned to Kotal Kahn and all main Earthrealm forces were cleared of the charges pressed against them, but tensions continued to remain as third party groups like Shadaloo and the Black Dragon continued to make attempts to disrupt the delicate peace, either in efforts to grab power or out of a genuine desire to see their realms superiority over another. Raiden and Kotal Kahn worked alongside many valiant and noble warriors who sought to keep the peace between the realms from deteriorating, but even they recognized violence was largely inevitable.

To that end, an arrangement was made.

In the grand tradition of their forefathers, a tournament. A chance for the greatest martial artists, warriors and beasts from Earth and realms beyond to challenge one another in the purity of one-on-one combat. A single stipulation was imposed by the ruling council, upon whom sat both Kotal Kahn and Lord Raiden. No fatalities. This would be no blood sport. A chance to test and witness the fighters of another's world to gauge their power, and equally a chance to win glory and fame. Money as well, they had quite the prizes for those interested in more material gains. But no death. Any such attempts lead to immediate disqualification. The tradition itself was fine indeed, but they would not adopt the old rules for death in the arena.

They had named it the Tournament of Champions.

And this is where we find _her_.

* * *

The Tournament of Champions was being held in Earthrealm, on a remote island in the Phillipines. No one knew exactly where, and the vessel that brought them here was imbued with the power of the Elder Gods to mask their voyage. After almost a week of travel, it had finally arrived, and the fighters were disembarking from the ship. Warriors of every shape and size descended the gangplank onto the docks, cybernetic ninja, rogue mutants, soldiers, policemen, martial artists, movie stars and many others besides.

Amongst them, a young girl no older than seventeen, wearing a pair of neon pink sunglasses to shield her eyes from the bright sun and wearing a dark green top and a pair of white workout pants. Dark hair, stiff from lack of moisture, exploded around her head in a mane of short spikes. She was unusually pale, and her skin had an odd sheen to it, but apart from that she didn't look different from most of the other humans coming to participate in the tournament.

Looks, however, could be deceiving.

As she stepped onto the docks and gazed up at the island fortress where they would be competing, she felt a thrill run down her spine. Adjusting the pack slung over her shoulder, she tugged down her sunglasses, revealing a pair of bright yellow eyes with oval, almost slit-like pupils.

"Alright... time for some fun," she purred, practically giddy with excitement.

* * *

Matches began the very next day. Lots were chosen at random so none could call foul on an unfair match-up. It was a cool, crisp day, the sun was hidden behind a thin layer of clouds but there was a comfortable breeze on the air.

Several opening matches went by, none of them of particular note. The minimal audience in attendance may have been enthralled by intensity of the fights, but to true leaders and warriors they were paltry affairs for the most part, unworthy of their time and attention. High up in their elite seating, Kotal Kahn slumped in his chair, watching but uninterested in the fights, leaving announcements to his herald and overall rather bored.

Until...

"Next match... Vega vs Zatera Han!"

Spectators glanced amongst themselves, unsure if they'd heard that last name correctly. Han? As in Juri? Members of S.I.N. in the audience looked to Seth for confirmation, who himself looked flummoxed. No one had heard from Juri Han since her last mission, all of them had assumed she'd been dead the last two decades or so. Was this simply a coincidence in names? Or a relative? A cousin? A niece?

Stepping into the arena, the audience got a better look at both fighters. But it seemed virtually nobody was paying the slightest bit of attention to Vega once this Zatera stepped into the ring. Having exchanged her top and pants for a skintight suit of slinky green leather, she naturally drew every eye. It looked exceptionally tight, showcasing every inch of her slender body, highlighting the curve of her hips and the swell of her bosom. She may not have been busty or voluptuous like some fighters, but she definitely held a great appeal in her outfit. A chain of dark bronze encircled her slender waist like a belt. Darker green leather shoulder pads, gauntlets, fingerless gloves and toeless boots completed the ensemble. It bore more than a passing resemblance to the outfit that kunoichi of Edenia were known to wear, like Kitana or Jade. She wore no mask to accompany it, instead her pretty face was fully on display, yellow eyes and pale lips complimented by her dark, spiky hair.

Then she smiled, and there could be no doubt left in their minds. There could be no mistaking that evil little grin. This wasn't just _any_ relative of Juri Han. This was _her daughter_.

Up in the elite seating, the aged Seth growled, clenching his hand into a fist. If this girl was Juri's daughter, that meant she had survived her last mission. But never reported in. She'd gone AWOL from SIN. Unacceptable. Oh, he had questions for this girl. But first and foremost, he wanted to know if she could fight.

Further up the elite seating, where the Emperor was, a shinobi dropped down by his side.

"The name is confirmed sir, it is the same as the thief who stole the kamidogu. She can be dealt with following her elimination from the tournament if you so desire. Or captured and brought in for questioning."

Kotal Kahn waved away the ninja, curious to see what this girl could do. He leaned forward in his throne, elbows resting on his knees as his hands interlaced and provided a rest for his chin. His gaze was intense as he studied the child of both servant and enemy. For there was also no doubt in his mind exactly who the father was.

Curious.

"Let's see what she can do first," he said.

* * *

"Round one... fight!"

Her opponent was Vega. Not the original, this was his protégé, who had inherited his fighting style and distinctive mask, but bore a shade of red as his hair color, not blonde. And unlike the original Vega, wore a pristine white business suit and tie. As if fully convinced he was impossible to touch.

Zatera intended to dissuade him of that notion.

The half-saurian girl was instantly in motion, throwing herself forward bodily and into the air, swinging a kick to knock Vega's head clean off his block. He countered with a raised arm, knocking her kick off, then lashing out with the triple bladed covering on his wrist, lashing out at her with his sharp claws. Zatera deftly ducked and dodged, rolling backwards onto her hands then back flipping onto her feet a safe distance away.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" she asked, planting her hands on her hips. Her eyes seemed to light up with an inner emerald fire as a long serpents tongue slipped from her lips, flicking the air before slipping back inside of her mouth.

"Show a girl a good time, will ya?"

"If you insist, madame," he replied, swinging out his foot in a low sweep, trying to knock her off her feet. "Though it will be a terrible shame to destroy such a lovely dark flower as yourself."

She easily evaded his move and struck out with her own foot, kicking him right in his masked face. He hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet a moment later, clutching at his mask as he felt it crack under his fingers. It was otherwise undamaged, but his eyes were wide behind the slits as he watched her. She'd almost unmasked him. And like his mentor had taught him, once that happened, it could never be undone.

Zatera gave a playful smirk, well aware of how greatly he prized his face. She'd struck him on purpose to get him riled up.

"I'll tear you limb from limb!" he shouted, charging forward, claws slashing through the air wildly.

She countered with a kick and a backhand, grasping at her waist in one fluid motion and de-tatching her dark bronze belt. Unfurling it to its full length, she swung it in a figure eight arc, snapping it against the ground like a whip (which it was) and forcing Vega back, putting him on the defensive.

"Don't get all pouty, we're still playing," said Zatera, snapping the whip through the air with a flick of her wrist. Vega dodged, ducking underneath, then came in for a furious flurry of kicks.

The half-saurian fell back onto the defensive, blocking his kicks and ducking or dodging his razor sharp claws. Through it all, however, she never lost the wicked smirk on her face. She was toying with him, and he seemed to know it. It only raised his ire and encouraged him to throw more and more into his wild strikes, hoping to wipe the smug grin off her face.

Finally, however, he threw a blow too wild and reckless, leaving him badly off-guard as she shifted inside his guard and struck. A yellow-green aura engulfed her foot as she swung it at his chest, sending him tumbling to the ground. The force of the blow felt like he'd been struck by a car, and Vega groaned in disbelief, caressing his ribcage to massage away the pain.

"Like that?" she asked with a grin. "I got some natural ki-affinity somehow. Neat, huh? Seems like I have some knack for this stuff too."

Now it was Vega who was on the defensive, barely able to counter or block any blow Zatera threw at him with lightning fast kicks and solid, sharp jabs from her tiny fists. It was like being struck by a bulldozer, and he skidded to the very edge of the ring, barely managing to keep his balance. Knockout counted as a disqualification by tournament rules.

Abruptly, however, Zatera stopped and hopped backwards, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Vega paused, confused. She'd been winning. But Zatera evidently wasn't yet done with him.

"That's not all, boyo," she said with a grin. Her other eye lit up, equally bright. "Two-for-one deal."

Vega recoiled in stark terror as the aura of blazing energy around Zatera jumped to unprecedented levels, a lime-tinted aura of fire coalescing around her like an almost tangible force, doubling her power a second time.

Her next move finished the fight... but she held back just enough strength to avoid delivering a fatal blow. Tournament rules. Didn't matter though, she thought as her opponent came crashing back down to the ring from her sweeping kick. The fun wasn't in the kill, it was the thrill of the fight. The blood, the pain, the fear. And most of all the flush of victory.

Oh how she loved it.

The glow in Zatera's eyes as she glanced up at the arena stands, taking the time to recoil her chain-whip once again around her slender waist, and gave a wave to her audience.

And two in particular.

* * *

High up in the arena stands, admist the cheering crowds, two figures sat amdist them. The angle of the sun cast that particular section of the stadium into deep shadows. The one on the left was a tall, muscular sort, wearing a hooded brown robe with the cowl pulled low over his head, hiding his features in darkness. The other one, a much slimmer, shorter figure, was dressed in a trenchcoat and a wide-brimmed fedora which served a similar purpose.

Reptile lifted his head, his reptilian features faintly visible amidst the shadows of the cowl as he watched Zatera fight. "She's going to win," he remarked off-handedly.

A smiling Juri revealed herself under the fedora, an eyepatch covering her left eye, her right one shining brightly. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"None," he replied. "She fights with honor, ruthless determination, and great cunning."

"Gee, I wonder who she gets that from?" the purple-eyed assassin asked rhetorically.

The two of them leaned into each other, watching the rest of the tournament unfold. In particular, they saw Zatera Han claim victory after victory as she fought and won match after match. Her match with Vega was over, and after that she took down Cassandra Cage, though that was remarkably closer. Johnny Cage's and Sonya Blade's daughter was an even match. Zatera truly had to work for her victory, but she earned it, moving ever closer to the finals of the Tournament.

She fought with passion, she fought with ferocity, she fought for the thrill of victory.

And more importantly, she did them both proud.

* * *

 **Authors Notes:**

Zatera is a wholly original creation of ours, decided upon at the last moment to join in the fun epilogue here. Technically this second Vega is as well, but we mostly cobbled him together to give her someone to fight who wouldn't upset fans of either the Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter franchises.

And so ends this cooperative story of ours. The first of many or maybe the last? Who knows? Both are plausible (but I'm seriously hoping for the first of the two, though, really.) We'd also like to say we hope you all enjoyed this story of ours and will continue to read and enjoy our future stories, both coop and solo.

Also also, check out this gorgeous piece of art Rassilon commissioned for the story. For the folks, who'd like a more visual representation of Zatera. Thanks goes to the artist as well. art/Commission-Zatera-559116057

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's all from us! For a time, at least! I'm Writer of Chaos.

And I'm Rassilon001 saying... good fight, good night!


End file.
